What Is Kirby's Rule of 20?

Jeffrey Backus, CVT, RVT, VTS (ECC), ER/ICU veterinary technician at Tufts University, explains when to use Kirby's Rule of 20.

Kirby's Rule of 20 is a list of 20 different things throughout the body you should be thinking about when dealing with a veterinary patient. It lists everything from albumen levels to coagulation to wounds to nutrition.

It is basically a checklist to make sure you don't miss anything—especially with those critical patients. It is also a great checklist to pull out when a patient may not be getting better and you're not sure why.